CEDAR CITY – The race for the Republican nomination in the state Senate primary race for District 28 ended late Tuesday evening with incumbent Evan Vickers winning approximately 67.1 percent of the vote and his challenger, Casey O. Anderson, taking 32.9 percent.

There were a total of 243 districts in Beaver, Iron and Washington counties reporting results for the hard-fought race to represent Republicans in the November election.

Vickers talked about his experience running against Anderson for a second go-round for the Senate seat after a somewhat contentious campaign two years ago. He said it has been a very different campaign, describing it as much more cordial.

"I think both he and I tried very hard to make it that way," he said.

He described Anderson as a hard campaigner, noting that he knew Anderson would be working hard, and the only way he could win this primary with results similar to the last time was to work even harder.

He said his campaign has done a lot of work at the grassroots level that included knocking on doors, making phone calls, text messaging as well as using direct mail and media outlets.

Vickers does not have an opponent in the general election.

"If I lose in November, that'll be the biggest upset in the history of politics," he said.

Vickers addressed the issue of Senate Bill 54, in which he played a part in passing in the last legislative session and to which many conservatives in Utah were opposed. The bill allows for two ways of running for office — Utah's traditional caucus system or through getting on the primary ballot.

He said the caucus system is a good one most of the time, and 90 percent of the time the caucus system has chosen the right candidate.

"But there are times when you need to have another opportunity to allow people to go through a primary," Vickers said.

One benefit of SB54, he said, is that it allows the caucus system to play a vital role in the election process but still gives an opportunity in certain cases to allow the people to have their voices heard in a primary.

He said he is always happy for people to have an opportunity to vote, and in the case of him and Anderson, the primary results sent a clear message that the general population did not agree with the state delegates. Anderson nearly eliminated Vickers in the convention portion of the nominating process.

Anderson said his decision to run for the Senate seat was less about being in the Senate than helping to "get the country back on track." He expressed the belief that it is a duty to be involved with government in one way or another.

"In what capacity that is, I think everybody has a different place," he said. "But I think it's a duty to be involved. I don't think it's a hobby. I don't feel like it's a career."